Over 1L devotees flock to Patiram Shiva Temple

BALURGHAT: On the last Monday of the ‘Shravan’ month, the Patiram Shiva Temple in South Dinajpur district witnessed an overwhelming turnout of devotees, with over a lakh people flocking to the holy site. Devotees from various parts of the district and even from outside South Dinajpur came to offer water at the temple, a practice that has made Patiram a significant pilgrimage destination over the last 30 years.

The Patiram Shiva Temple has become synonymous with ‘Babadham’ for the residents of South Dinajpur, rivaling the fame of places like Kashi Vishwanath or Deoghar’s Baba Dham. For many, traveling to Deoghar’s Baba Dham to pour water on Shiva’s head is not feasible, so they bring water from the Atreyee River, one of the five sacred rivers, to perform the ritual at Patiram. The tradition has seen a surge in participation, especially on the Mondays of the Shravan month. The journey to Patiram begins on Sunday night, with devotees walking or running to the temple. Along the way, various organisations set up water stalls to assist the pilgrims. Upon reaching Patiram, devotees take a dip in the Atreyee River before covering the 1.5-kilometer distance to the temple, some even performing the arduous ‘Dondi’ ritual, crawling to fulfill their vows.

Given the massive gathering, security measures were heightened, with several voluntary organisations and the police ensuring the safety of the devotees from the riverbank to the temple. Maharaj Hariharananda Giri of the Patiram Shiva Temple stated: “For the past 30 years, this temple has witnessed an ever-growing number of devotees. We have made arrangements for Prasad, as well as medical teams and ambulances to assist anyone in need.”

In light of recent tragedies at religious sites, such as the stampede at Baba Siddhanath Temple in Bihar on August 12, where seven devotees lost their lives, stringent security and emergency measures were implemented to prevent any mishaps at Patiram.